» Seeking Investors: How to Attract the Best

Knowing how to attract investors is a fundamental skill that often takes a lot of experience to master. Whether you’re just getting started or you’re an experienced broker who has fallen out of the loop, it’s important to stay up-to-date with the latest, most effective recruitment strategies.

Top Strategies to Meet Investors

Seeking investors will take some work, so prepare to learn new skills that could help you make the most out of each encounter. If you don’t know how to attract investors, these are some of the most effective ways.

Use Your Existing Network

Practically everyone has an existing network that could lead them to a few investors. Even if you haven’t worked as a fund manager or business owner, chances are that you know some people who are interested in investor funding opportunities.

When seeking investors contact these people and explain that you’re looking for investor options that might match their interests. Even if they decide not to invest, it takes minimal effort to contact people you already know. They might also give you leads that will pay off in the future.

Present Your Investments to Local Entrepreneurs

Several organizations meet regularly to discuss investment opportunities. People in these organizations usually include some of the area’s top entrepreneurs. According to a Houston Chronicle article written by Malik Sharrieff, investors often congregate at functions held by organizations like the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Your area might also have private investment groups that advise their members to invest in specific opportunities.

This approach only works when you have a stellar presentation that uses plenty of research and data. These are usually professional investors and business owners who know how to spot successful opportunities.

Expand Your Professional and Social Network

The Internet makes it much easier for people to expand their professional and social networks. Use sites like LinkedIn to find investors who support opportunities like yours. Connecting with those people online gives you an opportunity to show that you are an expert in your field. The more quality posts and articles you publish, the more attractive you’ll start to look to investors.

Use All Types of Lead Generation

Lead generation is a tool that continues to reap rewards for investment managers and other professionals. Presenting investment opportunities to various groups in your community could help you get the contact information of investors you wouldn’t meet otherwise. Consider pitching to businesses, churches, and social organizations.

You can also use the Internet to generate leads. This may require hiring a Web Designer with experience optimizing sites to attract qualifying investors and convince them to provide their information to learn more about investment opportunities.

Since the JOBS Act loosened advertising and solicitation rules for many investment managers, you may also want to consider using radio, TV, and billboards to generate leads. Realize, though, that you may not be able to accept investments from everyone who responds. Depending on the type of investments you offer, you may need to focus on accredited and qualified investors.

Buying Leads

This is a controversial topic that deserves careful scrutiny. The advantage of buying leads is that you get to save yourself a lot of time and effort. You don’t have to actively pursue new prospects, leaving you time to focus on your business. Instead, you pay someone else for leads that work for your industry. It sounds like a great idea for busy investment advisors who don’t want to spend time on grunt work, but there are also many lead brokers who do not provide quality information.

FindAListBroker.info is a resource that can help you decide whether a potential list broker is legitimate or not. Some red flags include:

No authority recognition (BBB, Chamber of Commerce, D&B)

No physical office

Use of Online Reputation Management to hide poor reviews

Does not advise as to the Do Not Call Registry

Insistence on Bank Wire Transfers

Bargain or Value Pricing

If a lead broker shows any of these signs, be wary before doing business. Despite these warnings, you should not be wary about attempting to purchase leads.

Making Private Placement Offers More Attractive to Investors

No matter how you seek investors, you need to make private placement offers as attractive as possible. Otherwise, you may not get anything in return for your hard work. Try these tips to make the offer more attractive.

Transparency

You want to make your private placement offer look great, but you shouldn’t try to hide any risks. Savvy investors know that all opportunities involve some risk. Be upfront about the potential risks of your opportunity so they can proceed with trust.

Highlighting Benefits

White & Case explains that US private placements, which were once primarily used to fill gaps in financial plans, have become a mainstream funding tool. Investors also get the advantage of using low-interest loans to purchase fixed-rate securities.

Make Information Visual

Most people respond better to information that’s presented visually. Incorporate charts and graphs into your proposal.

Knowing how to find the best investors is a difficult skill, but it’s an essential one that everyone in the industry should learn.